The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-03-17

| Hazard, Captain Eads' daughter, dated a
| Nassau Saturday last in which Captain
Eads was said TO be suffering from conges
ton OF the lungs and to be so low that there
was little likelihood Of his recovery.
Captain Eads took a heavy cold last De
cember and went 20 Lakewood, N. j.,
where his health was improving when hi
i was called TO Washington on business con
nected with the Tehuantepec Ship Railway
| bill He returned TO New York January
IS so feeble that DR., Helmulth at once or
dered him TO Nassau, and he sailed for the
Bahamas February 3 with his wife and
Mrs Hazard.
captain James r. EAds was siXty-seyeu
years OF age He was born in Lawrenceburg,
Ind, May 30 1850, and with his parents went to
ST, Louis in 1888. He was emphatcnlly self
made man, having left school at the age Of thir'
teen, at which age he began as clerk in q dry
goods store. He eyinced o disposition TO be
an engineer while in this business. All his
spare time was devoted 10 mathematics
pertaining to the object which he had re
solved to master. In 1872 he constructed a div
inR-bell boat 70 recover cargoes, OF sunken
steamers. In lS+5 he erected at 81. Louis the
first glass works west OF the Ohio river IN
1880 he made q proposition to the Government
10 remove the snags and wrecks which then
obstructed the channels OF the Mississippi,
Ohio and Arkansas rivers. This passed the
lower branch Of Congress in 1857, but want
OF time prevented action by the Senate.
on the invitation, in 1851, OF President Lin
coin, Mr., Eads designed and constructed
powerful squadron OF eight steamers de
signed for use on the Mississippi, having
speed OF nine knots an hour and aggre-
eating 5000 tons These were ready, fully
equipped and plated, within 100 days from tho
time he received notice 10 do the work They
were the first ironclai vessels constructed by
the Government. In 1903 he designed and
constructed six turreted iron vessels, all henvi
ly plated. In iS57.7t he designed and construct
ed the great steel-arched bridge over the MIS-
sissippi river at ST Louis. This work is re-
nowned among the great engineering feats oi
the century, and its construction was regarded
at the time by scientific men as the solution OF
great problem in the engineering world.
The browning work OF his life was that Of
deepening the mouth Of the Mississippi river
This was in 1874 His plans for this work met
with strenuous opposition from Government
engineers, but Captain Eads succeeded in hay-
ing them adopted by proposing To do the work
without remuneration until he showed Congress
that his work was accomplished and practical.
Permission was granted In 1875 and in June OF
that year the construction Of what was then and
is still known as the ',ietuesn was begun, and
the completion OF the work az he had planned
II was accomplished.
In 1879 Mr.. Eads proposed his ship railway
across the American isthmus. II is familiariy
known to the American public as the Tehuante-
pee or Nicaragua Ship railway The scheme
received the Endorsement OF Congress during
the session Just closed. In the month OF Au-
gust, 1884, he was awarded the Albert medal by
the Society OF Arts In England. IN recognition
OF the valuable aid which his services have rem.
zs<ed TO the commerce OF the world